Vehicle-wheel tire



(No Mbdel.)

A. W. THOMAS.

VEHICLE WHEEL TIRE.

Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

FIG 1 A ml l INVEJVTOR fi WYJW'ESSES N. Pr irzns. Pin-\mLilhagmphor. Waslnngmn. u. c.

siren staresv PATENT rricn.

AMOS \V. THOMAS, OF PHILADELPI'IIA, PENNSYLYAXIA.

VEHICLE-WHEEL TIRE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,854, dated March 12, 1889.

Application filed June 30, 1888.

To (17/ who/1t it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMOS \V. THOMAS, a citizen of the I'nited States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Phila 1 delphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inl vented certain new and useful Improvements in Tires for the \Yheels of Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tires composed of elastic or compressible material constructed in a tubular or other fOl'll'l and capable of being inflated by the introdiurtion of air, gas, water, or other fluid into them.

My invention in general is applicable to the road-wheels of carriages or other rolling conveyances, but more particularly to the roadwheels of bicycles, tricycle 1, and velocipedes of all varieties.

The principal object; of my invention is to render more durable and servicealile the tires of the road-wheels of such rolling conveyances.

My invention consists of a tubular or other 3 form of tire composed of elastic or com pressible material, having the portion thereof con stituting the tread re'enforced or strength- Serial No. 278,639.

ened to a greater degree than, the portion caused to engage with the fellyfacing portion of the wheel. The ti'oi'lstruction of such a tire may be effecteiil in more than one way. In the accoi'npanying drawings 1 have illustrated three constructions alike Gll'llJOtlylllg the characteristic features of my invention, but from the standpoint of construction or formation diiferenti, and in which- Figure 1 a transverse section of a tire embodying my invention as applied to a groove-faced metal l'elly of the character employed in bicycles, a portion of said folly being shown partly in section and partly in ele- 1 vation; and Figs. 2 and 23 are transverse sections of tires embodying the invention but different respectively in construction from each other and that of the tire in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings A is the tire i formed of a ctmtinuous tube of rubber orl other suitable material.

In the tire of Fig. 1 n represents the tread portion of the tire, which is made thicker than the felly-facing portion that is thetire made of the same material throughout 1s thickened i (No model.)

at the tread portion to appmximatcly double that of the folly-facing portion. This formation of the two portions of the tire may be accomplished in any preferred manner in the constructitm of the tube or tire itself. The tire as a whole is primarily secured to the felly B by being sprung into the peripheral concave groove of the outer face of the folly. and may be ultimately secured, to place therein by cement or other glutinous or adhesive substance or material.

The thickening of the tread portion of the tires (illustrated in Figs. 2 and b) is effected by strengthening the same by an applied reenforce, which, in Fig. 2, is composed of a very tough and durable material, a, or one in a less degree subject to abrasion or wear than the material of which the body A of the tire is mainly composed, while that in Fig. 3 is composed of the same material, a, as that of which the body of the tire itself composed, but applied separately thereto after the body of the tire has been formed from a tube having the wall of uniform thickness throughout.

Both of the above-descril; ed re-enforces may be secured to the body of the tire by cement or other suitable fastening contrivances. The tire may be made with the entire depth of surface of the tread portion thereof of a tougher material than the felly-facing portion,

as shown in Fig. 1, or only the outer surface thereof, or the reenforce separately applied to the tread portion of the tire may be made wholly or in part of a tougher material than the tube itself, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by mixing or combining with the mass or material of which the tube or re-enforce is composed sand or fibrous materials which will give the desired toughness thereto. If the tube is made of rubber, sand or other substance or material may be mixed or combined therewith in variableproportions and the mixture or mass subsequently subjected to vulcanization to bring the same to its perfected state or condition for use.

The tire after being secured to place in the groove of the felly may be inflated by introducing a tube, (1, provided with a cock, D, through the same into the hollow tire A, and air, gas, water, or other liquid or fluid forced through the tube into the interior of the tire.

The tire, of course, must as a whole be made l fluid-tight, in order that after inflation it may normally maintain its cylindriform contour for an indefinite period. The degree of compressibility may be regulated by the amount of inflation or by the tension of the inflating medium, which may be introduced under pressure.

Various materials may be employed for the formation of the tubcsuch, for instance, as leather or woven or textile fabric suitably filled or treated to render it impervious to liquids or fluids; but I give preference to the use of rubber for the purpose. s

The particular advantage incidcntto the use of such a tire, in addition to being exceptionablystrong, tough, and durable, is that it is capable of admirably withstam'l'ing friction, abrasion, and rough usage of wear to whiclnot' course, such tires are subject, especially in their application to the road-Wheels of bicycles, tricycles, Velocipedes, and other rollin conveyances.

Having thus described the nature and objccts of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tire having the tread port-ion made thicker than the felly-facing portion, in combination with a folly and means, substantially as described, for pern'iitting' of the inflation of the tire, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A hollow tire having a rc-enforce applied to the tread portion, in combination with a felly and a cock secured into said felly and tire, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing" witnesses.

AMOS W. THOMAS.

\Vitnesses:

W. A. WHITMORE, GEO. W. REED. 

